Reviews

Bummer

2

Posted on 04 / 04 / 2015

I was very disappointed with my recent visit! I really wanted biscuits & gravy but they were out of gravy? What?! How does this happen? Aren't you a restaurant? Couldn't more be made?! I also have an almond allergy so the second thing I ordered was made with almond milk (French toast). There wasn't even a mention of maybe the could exchange soy for me! I settled for Huevos made vegan because I had to decide quickly. They were ok but came with some sautéed veggies ( of which I have an allergy to squash). Not worth the money! Service was slow & lacking.

Pros: many vegan options Cons: out of menu items, unable to make substitutions

Below Average

2

Posted on 02 / 02 / 2015

We were a party of 4 and ordered 4 mains, 3 first courses, and 2 drinks. My "almond bowl" dish tasted fine, but the portion was rather small. The vegan lasagna dish was barely edible because it was so over-salted. The wonton noodle "pho" dish looked terrible, with limp, overcooked veggies and an overall bland white look. I didn't taste the Indian dish.

Regarding the starters, the roasted cauliflower was also overcooked, while the artichoke was OK.

Prices were high, especially considering the average to below-average quality.

Palm Springs is lacking in veggie/vegan options, and our non-veggie friends chose this place, as it was the only sit-down place. It was a mistake.
Updated from previous review on Monday February 02, 2015

Worked for us

My wife and I recently gave Palm Greens a first time try on a recommendation from a friend. (This is after reading a horror story review).

For us we had a very pleasant dinner. Not real big on atmosphere but our waiter was very polite, good with suggestions and we enjoyed our meals very much.

We wanted to try their reuben but since we knew that's what we'd be eating the next day at Native Cafe I went for Vegan Punjabi Chhole and my wife had the stir fry. Nothing over the top but flavorful and well presented. We would definitely go there again next time we visit.

Never got our food after 1.25 hours

1

Posted on 05 / 12 / 2014

Such a huge disappointment and waste of precious getaway time, when my husband and I (both vegans) convinced an omnivore friend who was visiting from New York to go to Palm Greens for brunch on Mother's Day. We arrived, placed our order at the counter for what sounded like wonderful vegan breakfast food, sat down with our coffee and iced tea, and chatted. After about half an hour, we started wondering what was taking so long. Then we noticed that the three or four other tables didn't have food, either. After about 45 minutes since ordering, my husband inquired at the counter about our orders, and found out that THEY HAD NEVER SENT OUR ORDERS TO THE KITCHEN. Same for all the other customers who were sitting there without food!
At that point they jumped into action, and food starting trickling out of the kitchen, and soon, every other table had their food, including people who had come in after us. My husband inquired again, now at least 1 hour and 15 minutes since we'd initially ordered, and our food still wasn't ready (and I suspect they had lost our orders yet again, and weren't even making it), so we asked for our money back, and we left.
I'm just shocked that a restaurant can be operated so spectacularly badly that the counter staff did not notice that no food was coming out of the kitchen. Nor did they even offer us a piece of toast to tide us over, or some other gesture to show that they cared at all that they threw a wrench in our Sunday morning.
I really try to support vegan-friendly restaurants and overlook less-than-wonderful service, but there is simply no excuse for treating people this way.

The best in the west

3

Posted on 01 / 14 / 2014

This is an update. This used to be my favorite place until they started serving meat. They still have vegan options, but they are more limited, and it just doesn't feel the same. I still like their brownies. old review: "This is the best restaurant in the desert. Everything about this little place is positive. The owners are always there, cheerful, friendly and generous. They are always "cooking up" a new recipe to honor their patrons desires. I am vegan, mostly raw, and don't do soy or wheat. Most places, even vegan, are difficult. But not Palm Greens. They are now doing all their desserts gluten free and they are all delish. Their brownies are the best on the planet. They are very flexible with their menu, allowing substitutions if need be. I love the fact that I have so many choices here. And every dish I have had has been scrumptious. And beautifully presented. And reasonably priced. Their food is organic and produce very fresh and beutiful. I believe that they are going to start opening for dinner soon.
Updated from previous review on Thursday January 14, 2010

Pros: Fabulous food, Options for every palate, Wonderful service Cons: only open for lunch

Yummy lunch!

4

Posted on 09 / 11 / 2013

My husband and I both opted for the vegan haystack for lunch and it was GREAT! I'd never had anything with pickled jalapenos on it and was a little iffy, but I loved it! The bread they used for the buns was another highlight! We went for a late lunch and it wasn't crowded at all, the service was friendly, and our food came fast. I would love to go back for breakfast or a smoothie sometime!

health in the desert

4

Posted on 05 / 20 / 2013

Glad to find a healthy place with so many options!! The desert doesn't have great options for vegans or vegetarians. Love the many vegan choices here and the smoothies were super! The place is really cute too. Gluten free options were also very much appreciated. We are excited to return to try something different next time, the sandwiches we tried were huge and hearty, filled with lots of healthy goodies, a great find!

little gem in the desert

4

Posted on 12 / 07 / 2012

I ate twice at the palm greens cafe while stying in the city. Altough it is not a vegetarian/vegan place, it offers a lot of vegan friendly food and even raw food. The food I had was really good, and the service was great.

A saving grace in Palm Springs

4

Posted on 07 / 11 / 2011

We had rented a home in Palm Springs for three weeks and finally found Palm Greens at the end of our stay. We were so grateful for finally finding GOOD vegetarian food in PS we ate there three times one day. Didn't have time to try every veg offering on the menu but we definitely would have. Delicious!

Support Vegan Friendly Establishments

4

Posted on 11 / 28 / 2010

If your ever in Indo area, or passing through going to Coachella Valley, for music venue or what not, I highly recommend this vegan friendly joint, and every Thursday i believe the whole main street has a street fair with art and food, big weird art scene there, but back to the Cafe review, food was excellent when twice , it was so good. The chief has weekly specials, the week i popped in there they where serving vegan lasagna, I rarely see this dish made vegan, so i tried it, it was very good> Dinner was so good, i went the next morning for the buckwheat pancakes- it isnt hype at all- those pancakes where dang good.

the place closes mad early, like 6pm i believe, and there very cool thrift store hunting to do in this town.

Fantastically delectable! 10 cows up!!

4

Posted on 10 / 26 / 2010

This cafe should get 10 stars/cows (not four)! The flavors are so mouth-wateringly delicious, especially the vegan spinach lasagna (to die for!), Indonesian salad with tempeh (oh so good!), lavendar lemonade and the brownies. I've been vegetarian most of my life, and this is the best vegan/vegetarian food I've ever eaten in a cafe. The tastes are so rich & detailed, but it's healthy fare! Amazing!! The prices are certainly reasonable for all the care & top-quality ingredients they use, and the cafe atmosphere is inviting & warm, not to mention tastefully decorated. I've only been here once, but I boldly recommend it as a must-go-to, if you're vegan or vegetarian, or even if you simply love spectacular food. The service is friendly, the food is crazily amazing, and you'd impress anyone by taking them here for the first time. I can't wait to go back & try more dishes! If I was rich, I'd absolutely hire this owner Jeff(?) to make all my meals. Love, love, love it!

By the way, the reason you can't rate this place "five cows" is because they serve salmon, or something like that. Happy Cow won't allow a 5-cow rating. Too bad! This place warrants a much higher rating than 5 cows. ;)

What Happen?!

1

Posted on 09 / 28 / 2010

What happened to this restaurant?! I travel from the Pacific Northwest through Palm Springs every year on business and last spring I had an incredible meal here. This year, I discover when I walked into the restaurant that now they serve meat! As a vegetarian I am not willing to eat there anymore because you can smell the "flesh" that they are cooking in the kitchen. They should not even be listed on a vegetarian/vegan site. A previous comment about "for all intensive purposes this as a vegan restaurant" is a joke. How delusional is that comment! The cross contamination of animal waste into the food chain is well known in the food industry no matter what the owners of this restaurant try to make you believe. Just one look at the pictures posted on this site is evident of the "over-cooked", brown food that they now serve here. Where are the colors of the rainbow!? I encourage everyone to stay true to businesses that are truly vegetarian/vegan. There is another restaurant in the area that is true and never waivers in their conscious commitment to the cause. It is evident by their longevity, huge success and growth. Additionally, the owners responded nastily when I questioned their shift from an obviously conscious menu to one with meat. It was a very disappointing experience. OBVIOUSLY they are confused with what they want to contribute to keeping the planet healthy!

I think any amount of meat-eating would be superior to spreading such narrow-minded negativity. Palm Greens Cafe has exceptional food, period. If someone is worried about a fish scale dropping into their food & boosting their omega-3 content, they should eat at home where they can control everything. Besides, it's such rigid zeal that turns people off to vegetarianism, veganism & other healthier ways of eating & living.

I was very very disappointed when they added meat. It went from my favorite restaurant, eating there all the time, to maybe once a year when I am with someone who wants meat and I don't. too bad, I had such high hopes for them.

Awesome vegan-friendly cafe!

4

Posted on 08 / 15 / 2010

We were in Palm Springs area one weekend in August to attend a convention and were looking for a vegan place to eat. Well, we eat at Native Foods all the time back home so I thought why not look for another place to break the pace.

I went to Happy Cow and found this place. Some reviews were negative but I wanted to experience it myself. We thought it was AWESOME and were so glad to try it instead of following negative advice.

The staff were very helpful and friendly. They have an extensive knowledge of veganism and health food. They can point out which ones are vegan and not vegan and can recommend a vegan alternative such as vegan cheese in the dishes we ordered. What a service!

We could not try a lot of things we wanted to try from their menu but we ate as much as we wanted in 2 visits. Everything we tried were very tasty and low in oil (the way I cook at home). The ones we tried are: Grilled Tempeh Reuben sandwich with miso soup, Vegan Blueberry Buckwheat pancakes, Huevos Rancheros with tofu scramble(served with sauteed spinach, mushrooms, onions, garlic), Breakfast burrito with taste like bacon strips. Drinks: Iced Chai Latte(with soy milk, hhmmm yum!) and organic coffee( very good tasting coffee). Dessert and pastry: Vegan gluten free brownies...it was so goood!

The atmosphere was warm and positive. I love the Asian style decorations with window-like wood carving, and Indian/Nepalese style art display on the ceiling and walls. The restaurant is clean with some comfortable booth on the right side and high chairs and dining table setting on the left side. There were 3 big flat screen TV displaying interesting videos (with turned down volume).

The prices are high but this is Palm Springs near downtown where if I compare with other restaurants over there, I think they are comparable prices.

I would have rated 5 cows for this restaurant but the max is only 4 cows for a vegetarian restaurant (not all vegan).
Updated from previous review on Sunday August 15, 2010

Fantastic Organic Vegan-Friendly

4

Posted on 05 / 22 / 2010

I just came back from lunch and had to write a review; This place is amazing. Super-friendly and genuinely helpful staff. The ambiance is nice, open, clean. Their menu is full of options for vegetarians and vegans. Many of the non-vegan menu items can be easily changed to accommodate vegans without ruining the dish itself. I had the salad sampler and BOY was there a lot to sample. From the Tofu "egg" salad, the sweet potato salad, the Faux "Tuna" salad... it was so delicious and filling. Their apple blueberry cobbler was great, too. We'll be back over the next few days to try out all of the amazing items.

I'll say this: Some of the previous comments on here (about it not being 100% organic or gluten free, etc...) seem highly unwarranted. They were SO careful to point out what was and what wasn't organic/gluten free. Furthermore, as a vegan, I was intimidated and leary of going because it's listed as "Veggie Friendly" but that's the understatement of the year. This place is nearly vegan for all practical purposes.

Pros: Delicious Food, Super Friendly Staff, Generous Portions for reasonable price Cons: Limited hours in the off season, We don't have one back in my home town.

Great place, helpful chefs

5

Posted on 02 / 14 / 2010

We are low fat vegans (eat no oil) and eating out is always a challenge. We came to Palm Springs on vacation and decided to give Palm Greens Cafe a roll when we saw on their website that they are a "deep fryer free zone". We asked for a recommendation and one of the chefs recommended a macro plate that wasn't even on the menu and hooked it up oil free and with the salsa it was fantastic. Also, the lavender lemonade is great.

& t all it seems

2

Posted on 09 / 15 / 2009

I was excited at first about the advertised 'all organic' but found out that's not so. I agree with the other review that you have to watch out if what you eat matters. You have to ask about every single ingredient for that day and good luck if told the truth. Staff is nice but for what you get it's way too expensive and the decorations ... well, None. Very outdated and somewhat uncomfortable. All in all though, they try to bring something healthy to the area.

FYI we strive to be as close to 100% organic as possible. You imply that we are liars and I take offense to that. If asked about a particular item I am very upfront about it being organic or not. Expensive you say-please. Most people with any style find our atmosphere very pleasing. s
Sorry you don't but personally, I'm sure you have a hidden agenda so as they say "don't let the door hit ya in the ass on the way out"!

My staff does not replaces organic with nonorganic. If it says it is gluten free it is. I do all the baking here and your review implies that I am a liar. I would never sell something as gluten free if it was not so. I have a large following of people with celiac disease and for you to imply that I would harm them is very unfair. You should be ashamed of your lies. I question who you are and what your true motives are. Sounds like you have a few issues of your own to work through-

Loved it

5

Posted on 08 / 16 / 2009

Loved this place. It was filled with locals and I overheard some guys running in to each other and saying how they could eat here every day. The owner was there, great guy, very passionate about the food. I had the chicken caesar salad and it was awesome ... even says on the menu that the home made caesar dressing is top secret and to not even ask for the recipe! had AMAZING fresh lavender lemonade .. yum. my husband had their fresh made "slurpees" with watermelon and lime ... yum yum! Wish we were in town longer to try more plates.

Good food here

4

Posted on 05 / 19 / 2009

The atmosphere is nice, the counter staff helpful and friendly, and the food was tasty. I had one of the wraps and the quality was good. My only complaint is the price: $9.95 for a wrap and a small bowl of miso soup. It just seems like a lot of money for what you get, but the prices are similar to the other veggie places I've been to in Palm Springs.

Nice Find

3

Posted on 05 / 03 / 2009

Had lunch here once, plus a takeaway meal...not mindblowing, but good basics. Beware the menu if you are vegan, it is not always noted when a food contains egg or cheese (such as their homemade burger options). Place is clean, though the decor is outdated 80's style Asian. Owners are very present, super friendly and will answer any question.

Awesome!

5

Posted on 02 / 16 / 2009

This tucked away veggie/vegan cafe open about 4 months ago and it is just excellent! The menu is diverse and all items are super-fresh. I had the cuban black bean soup,lential falafel, tofu cheesecake, breakfast bowl and menage a trois salad. I've never gone to the same restaurant 3 times while on vacay, but I did this time. The decor is hip,clean, relaxing, with an Asian theme. The order-at-the-counter service is just
the best. Jeff and his staff make their guests feel right at home. They will explain all the items that you have questions about. Def. do not miss this place, if you are any
where near Palm Springs. It's right on the main street, with
plenty of free parking. I lived in PS 30 years ago but we never had anything like the PGC. It's about time!
Pleace and all good,
Paul

Pros: Quality, Price, Service Cons: Limited Dinner Items, No Sign on the Street

Nice!

4

Posted on 11 / 03 / 2008

We tried to make it to the grand opening but didn't realize the times. So, we went the next day for lunch. It is in a strip mall across from a Chevron. It's a quaint place with an Asian decor. The owners are super nice! We forgot our bike lock and they were really nice and let us bring them in. They have both vegetarian and vegan options on all the items, you just have to tell them. I had the Zen Hen sandwich. The bread was a whole wheat sunflower seed which was baked fresh that morning, as are the other choices. The sandwich consisted of a soy patty with tomato, lettuce, red onion, mustard, pickles, and your choice of regular mayo or veganaise. The Zen Hen comes with caraway coleslaw, which was fantastic! My husband had the Budda wrap. This is a tofu eggless salad with greens/veggies and fresh mint. They also have about 8 dipping sauces to choose from. They make their own lemonade which is really refreshing! The prices were very reasonable. Our total came to less that 20 bucks for the both of us. We will definitely come back next time we go to Palm Springs.